Tools exist for creating content for electronic and paper dictionaries, compiling dictionaries, glossaries, encyclopedias, and other types of reference materials. These tools may be a part of an electronic dictionary platform, which may include a number of content conversion and dictionary publishing tools that enable the publication of dictionaries in electronic format, on paper, and online. Such tools are useful for lexicographers when they are working on creating a dictionary, and also for users if they want to create dictionaries for publishing or for a private use. The dictionaries created by users may also be located in an internet site for a public use. Online dictionaries can be accessed via a dictionary server or other device or service over an Internet protocol or through some related service.
One goal of an electronic dictionary user may be to find an appropriate translation for a word or expression in text or alternatively an appropriate translation of a word from a source language to a target language. When a dictionary user sees some new or unknown word in a text, he may attempt to look up the word in a dictionary. The user may find not only an appropriate translation for a dictionary entry, but also many variants of translation, examples, synonyms and other information usually included in dictionaries. Some variants of translation, are marked (or labeled), for example, with grammatical labels—verb, noun, etc., stylistic marks (e.g., slang, poetic, archaic)—and also with marks related to the fields or themes of the entry (e.g., computer, chess, medicine).
One of the most challenging tasks for a dictionary producer is to help users find a proper translation and other relevant information about a word or expression.